


With This Night's Revels

by Violsva



Category: 16th Century CE RPF, British Writer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bar fights, Drinking & Talking, First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Sexual Content, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-16
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-04 19:06:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1084642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violsva/pseuds/Violsva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A writer goes to a pub, and gets in a fight. But it’s a different time, and a different pub, and this time he brought a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	With This Night's Revels

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lately](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lately/gifts).



> With so many thanks for giving me an excuse to write this! I hope you enjoy.

I threaded through the crowded pub and came back to the bar, and saw that Will had called for beers already for us both. Thank god. We’d had a brainstorming meeting for the new show, and I desperately needed that pint.

It wasn’t the work, the work was fine. The show would dazzle them, for what else could it do? But I had better ways to spend my time than trapped in a room with the idiots in Marketing. We’d had a particularly irritating one today, the kind of guy who’d call me ‘Chris’ and then expect me to buy him a drink.

I shoved a stool back and sat next to Will, who grinned at me. “Have a drink,” he said.

“I wouldn’t mind.” I knocked it back, and warmth descended. More like, it wasn’t just the work. I’d had a court date two days ago – off with a warning, but it made you twitchy. I wasn’t sure if Will knew or not.

If he did, he wasn’t saying. He commented on something I’d said at the session and drew me into a conversation about the show, thank god.

It’s never hard to talk to Will, of course. We started on the show, and then the actors, and then the rumours that Burbage was going to be the next Doctor, and that new kid Jonson (“Face like roadkill, but he might be going somewhere”), and then farce, and then Will got me started on myth and I didn’t shut up for a bit.

Two pints after we sat down he was waving his beer and making a point about artistic license. Will’s ideas about artistic license are straight out of Hollywood. The man claims to write histories, for god’s sake.

“The ancient Romans didn’t have clocks, Will. And the things you wanted to put into _The Roses _were just wrong.”__

__“Oh, no, not this again. It’s human conversation.”_ _

__“Your complete and utter disregard for historical accuracy is deeply alarming.”_ _

__“It _makes a better story _, Kit. Besides, I’m talking to the man who wanted all of fifteenth century England to be gay.”___ _

____“There’s loads of evidence for that,” I said. “And Will, it’s _queer _.”___ _ _ _

______But he just smiled at me, nudging my hand with his. I twitched, perhaps. “I know. Tell me, would Tarmashirin Khan have recognized himself, watching your show?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, that depends on your interpretation.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“He was a patron of art and science. A devout Muslim and a nobleman, never a shepherd. He built huge mosques, supported scholars, wrote -”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“He killed five percent of everyone alive at the time.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“There’s that, of course.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Besides, who’d heard of Tamburlaine before the show? He owes me a few drinks in Hell for that.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Who owes you, Kit? It’s Greene, I bet. After that memoir he owes everyone. How are you, Will?” It was George Peele, very drunk already and no doubt looking for more._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m fine if no one mentions that book,” said Will. “Good Lord, that man was a snob. I’m _glad _I never worked with him. Chettle was bad enough.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________“And what about you, Kit?” He grabbed my chair and stumbled into me. “He says that you’re a Satanist.” Will laughed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh sure, a _Satanist _. Because, you know, I’m queer, of course I’m also raising demons.” Will hadn’t stopped laughing yet, and was very close to falling off his chair.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Kit’s practically a fundamentalist,” said Will. “He thinks we’re all going to hell, but he just doesn’t care. Go home, George, before they have to pour you into a cab.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He turned and waved to get another, and as he did the orange glow poured through the window from the street and caught his curls and gilded them. His neck was traced in gold. I held my breath – not by my choice but from necessity._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Yeah, right, it’s true, he is my straight best friend. And you, you’ve never had a stupid crush? Stupid as it may be, I can’t look elsewhere when I look at him. I can’t fix it either._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ll have another with you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No you won’t.” Will turned Peele around, saw his table looking anxiously for him, and shoved him there. “Go on.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The waitress put our pints down, and Will sat again and grinned at me. “I don’t,” I said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Don’t want another? I’ll have yours.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Don’t think we’re all going to hell. Just that rewards have nothing to do with goodness. There are arrogant, posturing, dramatic bastards like me, who do quite well on earth and get nothing for it in the end, and then there are the good, the innocent, who may, theoretically, be rewarded in Heaven, but certainly won’t be here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Everyone’s a mix,” said Will. “You, me, and bloody Greene.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Not everyone,” I said, and tried to turn so the man I had just spotted could not see my face. Can a man not have a bloody drink after work with a friend without interruptions from everyone he least wants to see?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“And not all arrogance is evil, or evil arrogance.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Did I say evil was a thing at all? Even a demon out of hell has hopes, dreams, passions, wishes, loves -”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ve seen Faustus, of course.” He smiled at me, and I smiled back. It was a serial with a budget of fourpence, but it was mine, nearly all my ideas. My ego is my greatest fault in writing, true, but I would say it’s justified by that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Then you know all my arguments already. Have a drink.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“There is evil, or evil actions, though.” Will took his drink. “Not evil people, that’s the difference.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Just intolerable ones.” He laughed and said, “Like Greene,” but I had seen Frizer stand up, and I was in dead earnest. The Mermaid was a writers’ pub – why was he here?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________As long as he did not come closer, then -_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, well, if it isn’t just who I wanted to see.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Oh god. And with dialogue like that, too, god help us. I turned, because ignoring him would be worse._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It was Ingram Frizer, of course, and Nick and Rob a little behind him, Rob just turning as he realized what was going on._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Frizer.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Marlowe. We’ve been looking for you, since Wednesday. You need to come with us.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I don’t think we’ve been introduced,” Will interrupted. He put his hand out; Frizer raised a brow, but took it, and said his name._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Will Shakespeare. You’re Kit’s friend?” Will saw our looks and quieted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Why were you looking?” I said. Will’s presence was not likely to prevent this, but if there was going to be a scene I’d have it here, not step away alone with Frizer and his friends._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You got off lightly,” Frizer said. “But come, you won’t want to discuss this here.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“At all, in fact. I’ll see you later, but I am quite occupied right now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Your friend won’t mind. We need a sec with Kit,” said Nick, ostensibly to Will._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I think I do. We’re busy; you can talk to him tomorrow.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It wasn’t a request.” Rob grabbed my arm as Frizer tried to get in front of me. Will started to interrupt him, but I pushed him away as well, and stood at last._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Just say whatever you want here, and go.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“There’s a lot more than talking to be done. But sure, if you don’t mind the world knowing. It’s not just the libel, Kit. It’s everything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It was a bluff – I knew he couldn’t say it all, not in a public space. “You’re one to talk,” I answered. “How’s the Nigerian scam going, Nick?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Nick’s next words I would not have called polite, and I am not polite myself. I smirked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I don’t care what you want, we’re taking you outside,” said Ingram, grabbing me. “Come on.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It wasn’t wise, but I started to walk, and reached into my pocket on my way, plotting. Will grabbed my hand as it closed around my knife and begged, “Kit, please,” and so I paused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That’s right, obey your boyfriend, fag,” said Frizer, and I turned and lunged at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And then was caught and yanked away by Will. Sweet, gentle Will, who’d never even seen a fight in real life. I tried to push him out of the way and he jerked me back so hard I almost fell._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Frizer shouted some things at us and followed, but Will gave me no chance to respond. He pulled me right out of the tavern._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“A tiger’s heart wrapped in a writer’s hide,” I said madly as he persisted, dragging me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, not you too. They know the area?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“They don’t, or shouldn’t anyway,” I said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Good. Come.” He took me down an alleyway and to a park._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I saw a bench and sighed. “Thank god.” I slumped on it, Will joining me. He sighed and leaned back. In a second he’d be asking me for explanations. Damn._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Fuck. I needed a cigarette. I fumbled one out of my pocket and lit it, ignoring Will’s frown. They’re not going to kill me, something else will find me first._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He didn’t ask. I kept on waiting there, smoking and thinking this a coward’s way of dealing with a fight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That’s not how I expected this to go, tonight,” said Will at last._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I raised an eyebrow. “You had expectations?” I had merely wanted peace, with a friend, and beer, and conversation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Only a few.” He paused, turned. “You know what? Screw it all. Put that out.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Why?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So that I can kiss you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?” I reeled. “You what? Will, no.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He looked – hurt. Oh God. “Why not?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Fuck, you’re drunk.” I couldn’t take this, not tonight, not now. I blew out smoke. “Will, I don’t do straight guys.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He raised his brows and stared. “Kit, I’ve been bi since I was twenty-two. Where have you been?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I’m good – have always been – at dealing with surprise. I like the shock, the feeling when you’re blindsided, and all perceptions change. I cupped his neck, and dropped my cigarette, and kissed my friend._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He moaned, he kissed me back, he pulled my body tight against his own. I fed on him like one who, starved for years, at last has tasted food. His kisses were as sweet as the right words, the line that viewers quote for days on end. His tongue – I knew his tongue was skilful, and his lips, though I had never tried them before in this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh Kit,” he said at one point, as I pulled his golden earring gently with my teeth, “and I thought I had lost my chance, when you nearly went chasing after them, you fool.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I would be fine.” I’d better things to do than argue with him, though_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Come, let’s go home.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I frowned at separating, but his next kiss soothed my complaint. I thought, however, that he meant goodbye, and pulled him in so I could make it last. “Let’s get a cab,” he said, and pulled me to the curb and waved an arm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ll pay,” he said when I reached out to stop him. “We’re going to mine. You’ve got a flatmate, Kit.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“All right, you win.” I spread my hands, and let myself be warmed by his proposal, like a cat in sunlight. When the cab arrived I followed him. He’d followed me at first, in writing. I’d have thought I’d always lead, and certainly in this, if I had thought of this between us ever, but he’d made the first advance and I was caught behind._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Inside the cab he turned to me, and we enjoyed the ride more than the driver might have liked. I revelled in his touch, and gave him back the same and more. Within Will’s arms, and kissing him, and going back to his – what world was this, where these events were true?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Will’s place was farther out and smaller than my own, but unencumbered by Tom Kyd. Will pulled me in against him as we shoved the door behind us shut._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“My gorgeous Kit,” he whispered on my lips, and then his mouth and mine were trying hard to merge, all tastes between them formerly blending to one. My fingers tangled in his hair, and stroked his scalp until he moaned and sucked a bruise onto the corner of my neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________We kissed – oh, how we kissed. We kissed as though our lips could pull the other’s soul out through his mouth, and switch it for each other’s. I entwined my fingers deeper in his hair, to draw his mouth closer to mine for me to plunder. His hands around my waist pushed up my shirt and gloried in the skin beneath until I had to pull away, to take it off and give him further access to my flesh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He took the opportunity to turn and dragged me with him to his bedroom door. I shoved him through it, pressed him up against his wall, and jerked his shirt over his head. Thank god for t-shirts – I just wanted _skin_._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________His chest slid against mine, his hips. I gripped his arse and pressed him into me. He groaned against my mouth, and I removed it, licked my way down to his collarbone, and nuzzled at his chest, just the right height. His hand caught in my hair. “Come on,” he breathed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________We fell onto the bed. He tugged my zip and had it down before I knew his hands had moved. I pushed them out from in between us, so I could press against him, get my lips on his, and slide my legs between his thighs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He groaned and twisted, straining upwards. Then it was all hands, all skin, all frantic shoving together, rhythm growing at our hips, our mouths soft, rough, catching on teeth by turns._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________When it was not enough we pulled away our jeans, and I pushed Will back to the bed, leaning toward my goal of these five years. I sucked him down, hearing his desperate moan, and set to work proving his choice was good._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Eventually his hands fell down to clutch at shoulders, but I didn’t pause or stop. His hips arched up, he tried to halt his thrust, and then his voice called out my name, better than any poem. I drank him in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And then I yielded to his grasp, and slid to meet him, kiss him, hold his face in mine as he shook with the pleasure of it. I entangled him within my arm and legs, pressing my smooth chest to his hairy one, rubbing my need against his hip, but he escaped, and pulled away and further down, stroked me and licked me and returned the gift._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________After was not a time for talking. I lay boneless on the sheets, my Will beside, and in short moments all was darkness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I woke to Will’s quiet attempts to leave, and in the seconds I was half-awake I clutched him and rolled over on his arm. When I woke fully he was smiling down with simple unbelievable fondness. “I must get up some time,” he said. “We’ll starve. I’ll make a fry-up, Kit. Stay there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________I didn’t, of course. When I found him shirtless and cooking, I waited and considered him. I wanted to embrace him, but I thought the act unwise, when he was holding knives._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He brought plates out, loaded with food, and laid them down. I took my chance. I wrapped my arms around him yet again, and heard him laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Not quite what I’d expected from you, Kit.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________But he turned back to kiss me anyway. I saw his smile, and saw its meaning now, the same as mine. He’d screwed up courage for last night, and finding it worthwhile for this we both would go through fire to persist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
